Dinky 952-G-3 Bedford Vega Major Luxury Coach

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This model is the Dinky 952-G-3 Bedford Vega Major Luxury Coach in ivory with silver and maroon trim. This item differs from any of the versions described in Force's Dinky Toys (7th edition as revised by Alex Lakhtman) as it has a different coloured base and jeweled headlights and the model is only described in Richardson's books its first iteration colour of Light Grey. Accordingly I have identified the model as 952-G-3-b for the purposes of cataloguing it in my collection as it has the blue interior, a dark grey base, jeweled front lights, and retains the operating flashing side lights and battery box.

The model features a cast metal body with opening rear luggage compartment. The front bumper, grille and "V" emblem are picked out in silver paint. Inset into the grille area are four light yellow clear lenses, two larger ones to represent the headlights and two smaller ones to represent the front side lights. On each side is a silver and maroon paper or plastic stripe with "Vega Major" in silver to the rear of the rear wheels. Orange plastic lenses, set between the first and second front axle, represent the side indicators (trafficators), powered by the battery that sits under the interior, in the centre of the vehicle.

The interior is pale blue plastic and consists of a single, right hand side driver's seat (with black plastic steering wheel and column in front of it) and twelve rows of passenger's seats, representing a capacity of 49 passengers. The only glazing on these models is clear, on all sides of the bus and in the three sunroofs and 8, roof-level, viewing windows.

All wheels are of a shaped cast metal type - solid one piece cast metal hubs, unpainted, with raised circular design in the centre and each with a separate black "rubber" tyre.

The baseplate is dark grey painted metal with Dinky Supertoys at the top centre, "Vega Major Luxury Coach" at the bottom centre, "Pat App for No 3189/62, Prov Pat Nos 1026/59 12500/60, Pat No 984762" on three lines and a raised panel at the rear top, and "Meccano Ltd, Made in England" at the rear centre. Just behind the rear axle is the model reference number "952". The base also carries rudimentary depictions of the engine sump, gearbox, drive shaft, exhaust system, fuel tank, and suspension. It is fixed through the use of a single rear body locating tab and a single self-tapping screw at the front of the bus.

The item comes in its original yellow Dinky Toys picture box with drawings of the vehicle on two sides. The original, 6 language operating instructions (57018) and battery fitting instructions are both present in the box.